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Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

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A/H5N1 strain of avian influenza A virus (“bird flu”) confirmed in two dead birds in Australia

A/H5N1 strain of avian influenza A virus (“bird flu”) confirmed in two dead birds in Australia

Australia’s Minister for Agriculture has notified Australians that overnight laboratory testing confirmed the presence of A/H5N1 in one sick bird and an H5 virus in another, both found in the same region of Read More ...

Well, the day had to come. “Bird flu” flies into Australia on a feathered wing.

Well, the day had to come. “Bird flu” flies into Australia on a feathered wing.

Lock up the chooks! According to Australia’s national broadcaster, Western Australia (WA) is the site for the first importation to the Australian mainland – via a bird – of an Read More ...

Looks like Flu has reset in Australia

Looks like Flu has reset in Australia

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a brand-new respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2. With that introduction, as suspected, lots of things were thrown into disarray. One of those was the circulation of other respiratory Read More ...

There are a lot of people sick….again…in winter….

There are a lot of people sick….again…in winter….

Yep. It’s a time of year in many parts of the world when viruses that love a warm human airway, kick it up a notch – influenza, respiratory syncytial virus Read More ...

There are a lot of people sick….again…in winter….

Posted onJune 28, 2026June 28, 2026Leave a comment

Yep. It’s a time of year in many parts of the world when viruses that love a warm human airway, kick it up a notch – influenza, respiratory syncytial virus Read More …

CategoriesEpidemic, Rhinovirus, RSV

A/H5N1 strain of avian influenza A virus (“bird flu”) confirmed in two dead birds in Australia

Posted onJune 20, 2026June 24, 2026Leave a comment

Australia’s Minister for Agriculture has notified Australians that overnight laboratory testing confirmed the presence of A/H5N1 in one sick bird and an H5 virus in another, both found in the same region of Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Digitally-colorized transmission electron microscopic image of Avian Influenza A H5N1 virus particles (seen in gold), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (seen in green). PHIL No. 1841

Well, the day had to come. “Bird flu” flies into Australia on a feathered wing.

Posted onJune 19, 2026June 20, 20262 Comments

Lock up the chooks! According to Australia’s national broadcaster, Western Australia (WA) is the site for the first importation to the Australian mainland – via a bird – of an Read More …

CategoriesInfluenzaTagsAustralia, Importation

Looks like Flu has reset in Australia

Posted onJune 5, 2026June 5, 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a brand-new respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2. With that introduction, as suspected, lots of things were thrown into disarray. One of those was the circulation of other respiratory Read More …

CategoriesCOVID-19, Epidemic, Infection pause, Influenza, Pandemic

The ridiculously oversimplified claim that PCR can “detect one single molecule”

Posted onMay 26, 2026May 31, 20268 Comments

There’s so much more to these four words than is attributed to them, so I thought I’d better write that down instead of leaving it in my head. Here’s hoping Read More …

CategoriesPCR

Just 0.7% of of universally screened asymptomatic patients produced unrepeatable PCR tests

Posted onMay 2, 2026May 5, 20262 Comments

A recent paper entitled “Diagnostic Value and Outcomes of Systematic SARS-CoV-2 Screening in Asymptomatic Patients” highlights the need for innovative contextual actions in response to positive PCR results during exceptional Read More …

CategoriesCoronavirus, COVID-19, PCR, Review

A little virus that still can: poliovirus and poliomyelitis

Posted onMay 1, 2026May 1, 2026

A few things about poliomyelitis (‘polio’) and poliovirus, the enterovirus that causes this disease. What is Polio? Polio is the name used to describe a paralytic disease. It is caused Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Age and COVID-19: What’s with all the young kids?

Posted onApril 14, 2026April 20, 2026

Inspired by an online conversation and the hard work of others, I set off to examine age groupings among Australians confirmed as COVID-19 cases, based on testing using a quality-laboratory Read More …

CategoriesCOVID-19, Emerging disease, SARS-CoV-2, VariantsTagsepidemiology

Asymptomatic, acute and persistent COVID-19 symptom changes over the course of three infections

Posted onMarch 5, 2026March 5, 2026

Data from a UK healthcare worker cohort published in 2024 examined how signs and symptoms of COVID-19 changed after 1, 2, or 3 SARS-CoV-2 lab-confirmed infections. Those with no symptoms Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

How are asymptomatic COVID-19 cases tracking?

Posted onMarch 2, 2026March 3, 2026

In the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, data were assembled that defined how the virus spread among us, who, at the time, had never been infected. But the world’s Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Another way to look at flu season size

Posted onFebruary 28, 2026February 28, 2026

Peak height, number of cases, deaths, severity – these are all terms that are used to give you an idea of how big a flu season has been. Here’s another Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

Whooping cough in 2024 was huge in Australia, but is declining in 2025 and 2026

Posted onFebruary 19, 2026February 19, 2026

The risks of declining childhood vaccination include a resurgence of dangerous infectious diseases driven by airborne pathogens such as Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium that causes whooping cough (also called pertussis). A Read More …

CategoriesBordetella pertussis, Epidemic, Vaccines & vaccinationTagsAustralia, epidemiology

Pathology lab PCR is not research lab PCR

Posted onJanuary 27, 2026February 16, 2026

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) use in the pathology lab differs from research-based PCR in two fundamental ways, namely quality and clinical expertise. These are essential to producing a clinical diagnosis supported by Read More …

CategoriesLaboratory methods, PCR

Is there more flu in Australia and New Zealand than normal for Christmas? Hell Yes!

Posted onDecember 27, 2025April 17, 2026

Happy FluMas, ya filthy animals! With a new flu variant – subclade K – dominant, Australia and New Zealand are seeing a very unusual bout of seasonal influenza (flu) as Read More …

CategoriesEpidemic, Influenza, Vaccines & vaccination, VariantsTagsSubclade K

Catch them all? There are three different influenza viruses and they can co-circulate each season

Posted onAugust 22, 2025August 22, 2025

We tend to say we “caught the flu” this season. But there’s more than one flu virus. Because mild and asymptomatic infections can occur with influenza viruses, and because the Read More …

CategoriesUncategorized

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Recent Posts

  • There are a lot of people sick….again…in winter…. June 28, 2026
  • A/H5N1 strain of avian influenza A virus (“bird flu”) confirmed in two dead birds in Australia June 20, 2026
  • Well, the day had to come. “Bird flu” flies into Australia on a feathered wing. June 19, 2026
  • Looks like Flu has reset in Australia June 5, 2026
  • The ridiculously oversimplified claim that PCR can “detect one single molecule” May 26, 2026
  • Just 0.7% of of universally screened asymptomatic patients produced unrepeatable PCR tests May 2, 2026
  • A little virus that still can: poliovirus and poliomyelitis May 1, 2026
  • Age and COVID-19: What’s with all the young kids? April 14, 2026
  • Asymptomatic, acute and persistent COVID-19 symptom changes over the course of three infections March 5, 2026
  • How are asymptomatic COVID-19 cases tracking? March 2, 2026
  • Another way to look at flu season size February 28, 2026
  • Whooping cough in 2024 was huge in Australia, but is declining in 2025 and 2026 February 19, 2026
  • Pathology lab PCR is not research lab PCR January 27, 2026
  • Is there more flu in Australia and New Zealand than normal for Christmas? Hell Yes! December 27, 2025
  • Catch them all? There are three different influenza viruses and they can co-circulate each season August 22, 2025

All opinions are my own and do not represent medical advice or the views of any institution.

All graphics made by me are free-to-use. Please just cite the particular page, blog and me. A heads-up would be nice, but that can happen later.

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Recent Posts

  • There are a lot of people sick….again…in winter….
  • A/H5N1 strain of avian influenza A virus (“bird flu”) confirmed in two dead birds in Australia
  • Well, the day had to come. “Bird flu” flies into Australia on a feathered wing.
  • Looks like Flu has reset in Australia
  • The ridiculously oversimplified claim that PCR can “detect one single molecule”

All opinions are my own and do not represent medical advice or the views of any institution.

All graphics made by me are free-to-use. Please just cite the particular page, blog and me. A heads-up would be nice too but that can happen later.

Bluesky: @mackayim.bsky.social

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Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

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